On August 15, 2024, the announcement came: no more cell phone use or access during the school day. Student texts and Snapchats went wild.
The purpose behind this drastic change, which was thoughtfully explained in an email from Head of Upper School Mr. Mark Fifer, was to encourage students to be “fully present and engaged in pursuit of their academic, extracurricular, and social-emotional growth.”
Most would agree that access to the internet or communication for non-academic purposes during the school day is undoubtedly distracting. Learning is best achieved in a distraction-free environment.
Grief comes in stages. After the initial denial, anger and depression over the loss of the emotional-support phone, the clever student settled on acceptance, calmly realizing: it isn’t so bad.
Moreover, as in most things in life, people adapt to a given new norm.
Fifth Former Tommy Gowen agrees. “I thought it would be a really bad change and [it would] feel disorienting not to have my phone,” Gowen says, “but a few days in, I really didn’t think about it or mind at all.”
The question remains, what has really changed in the dramatic shift back to the olden days, before the advent of the cell phone?
Perhaps not that much.
Students are still able to text on their Apple watches and laptops, so, if a student has the desire, the distraction is still there.
“I think when it comes down to it, students won’t be using their Apple watches or computers in the same way as they’ve used their cell phones,” Fifth Former Colin Toth says. “The kids who appreciate the break from all of it will take advantage of the new normal, and the kids who don’t, won’t.”
What seems to cause a bigger stir is the funny little Yondr pouch.
One doesn’t use a pouch to throw a phone in a bag or briefcase, so what’s the real purpose? The pouch presumably acts as a barrier for temping eyes, coming fully equipped with a lock.
The phone goes into the pouch at 8:30 a.m. (9:00 a.m. on Wednesday) and comes out at 3:15 p.m. sharp. Students can be seen pouring out of the doors of Wilson Hall, heads down and typing madly on their Yondr released phones.
“[The Yonder pouch] does seem excessive, although protective of the phone banging around in a book bag of books and computers. I’m not sure why the rule can’t simply be ‘no cell phones,’” James MacColl says. “If a student wants to violate this rule in a bathroom or whatever, whether it’s in a pouch or not, really won’t make a difference,”
…students must “carry their Yondr pouch to and from school each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times.”
Another questionable feature of the pouch is that a student is required to have it to be marked “present” in class. Ironically, the school doesn’t want to disengage the student from their school tasks and sense of community, but substitutes old school methods of attendance taking —traditionally noted by said student being present in their seat in the classroom—with a Yondr pouch?
And for the student who decides that it’s simply not worth all the Yondr hoopla to even bring the phone to school, the Yondr pouch must follow them, even if the phone does not?
So if a teacher sees a student sitting in his chair, books out and ready to learn, are they not there because their Yondr pouch isn’t?
Apparently not.
Students can be seen scurrying into the upper school office with their bright red lateslips, because, despite their timely presence in school, the pouch was not.
Much like the high school experience depicted in movies, where the irresponsible teen is required to carry around an unbroken egg all day to demonstrate responsibility, per Mr. Fifer’s email, students must “carry their Yondr pouch to and from school each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times.”
While the lack of distraction from technology and group chats has been helpful to most students, it will be interesting to see whether the Yondr pouch, or just the student, is required to attend class for the 2025-2026 school year.
